BMW R1200R R1150R/T F800 K1200R R1100R/T R1250R RnineT Message Board

This holiday my ABS-unit died permanentely. No brake-assist...
In July last year it left me standing (almost crashed into the motorcycle in front of me)
In October last year it failed again
This year on day 3 it stopped permanently.
In October they replaced the battery for an Oddyssee, and when I didn't get the problems again I had to pay for the new battery. I told the dealer it would happen again when I 'm on holidays and so it did...
We had to go back to the Netherlands and leave my bike at the dealer.
Now they replaced the ABS-unit under warranty but I've to pay the mechanicsbill for my bike is too old...

Anyone else had these problems

I don't think my next bike will be a beemer again!

miekusss

Welcome to the often discussed HI's and Low's of the ABS system, it is obvious TO what group do you belong to. One of our steemed posters has dealt with a failure of the ABS in one swift way and that is to bypass the ABS altogether. He replaced the brake lines from the master cylinder to the calipers....I don't know if he also removed the ABS unit as well.

I don't recall who it was at this time, VES or challey come to mind but I'm not sure. Hopefully someone will chime in with the right answer. This might be a way out for you as well, that is if there are no other "maladies" with your bike.

Rest assured that a fair amount of brand loyalists share your opinion as there have been some very troubling issues show their ugly face.

boxermania wrote:I don't recall who it was at this time

Sweatmark pulled his. Read about it here:

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=13571

miekusss wrote:
I don't think my next bike will be a beemer again!

There is nothing bad about Boxer engines or BMW's but the ABS system is unreliable,temperamental
inconsistent and very expensive, about half the cost of the bike if you need to change it, and its not a
matter of IF, its a matter of when, it fails, the tally will be large because the battery voltages are also
incompatible with consistent performance which means early battery replacement as well, and yes
i also removed my ABS in toto when it failed, total cost $268, just replace two hoses, real simple...

cheers arbee

I had mine die a year ago and I paid to have it replaced (about $1700 USD). They did replace it with a newer-design ABS pump with two-stage operation that apparently has a lower failure rate. I haven't had any issues with it since then.

That post is here:
[url]viewtopic.php?f=3&t=13461[/url]

I thought about taking Sweatmark's route and de-ABSing the bike but I eventually decided that ABS is a seriously awesome safety feature. Perhaps when I'm more, ahem, "distinguished" like many of the gentleman on this board I'll have more faith in my riding skill level, but for now, I'll take all the help I can get.

On a cultural side note, I thought for sure that "Wjelsryp" was actually a random collection of letters, but then I stuck it in Google Maps and found it.

Sorry to read about your ABS failure. As referenced above, my remedy for potential ABS problems in R1150R has been removal of the system and change to conventional brakes. The conversion process is simple and inexpensive, especially for Roadsters. My Rockster is a bit more complicated because of the speedometer signal source within the ABS computer, but that issue will be fixed this weekend.

I would love to have the simple, lightweight, and reliable ABS that is now part of the R1200 bike design, but I like the R1150R Rockster and intend to keep it long term... ABS removal was my best option.

Good luck with the new unit.

<edit> I should add that the original poster's experience is exactly what I wish to avoid: major system failure while on holiday. Road trip capabilities and perception of BMW mechanical integrity are exactly why we bought two R1150Rs for Mrs. Sweatmark and myself, and if I have to strip them down to basics, forge new transmission input shafts in my back yard, and replace the final drives with a sledge hammer to make the bikes road-trip-worthy, then that's what I'll do, BMW Motorrad be damned.

I guess I am in a similar boat!

My ABS system shuts down on me from time to time. Sometimes I just press the brakes, nothing happen and the lights go flashing and it comes back to life, starts working again! If I am travelling and there is enough air going through nothing happen. All my failures happen when I was riding in traffic, moving slowly and the bike getting hotter.

BMW wants £1500 to change the ABS hydraullic unit. Which is now half of the value of the bike and I don't think it is a pump failure but electrical problem.

Has someone experienced something like that?

Cheers

Pedro